Secret's Out
by Navybluesnail
Summary: Skye grew up not knowing her parents. Instead, she lived with an evil organization lead by Drago Bludfist. They tricked her into believing that the group was good, but one day she discovered the truth and left. After tracking them down to help put an end to their madness, she is led to Berk. She helps them prepare for battle, and gains a new secret. Will she prevail?
1. Chapter 1

As I was tracking down the enemy, I noticed that they were headed for a village resting upon an island. They were braced to attack, probably searching for recruits and craving destruction. I knew that I had to help the target, but I had no idea of how to accomplish that. _Well, the island is a while away, just barely seen along the horizon. Maybe I'll have time to think of something_, I thought.

But of course, I was wrong. I don't think, I just do. When I think, I'm almost always wrong. When I just go ahead and wing it, everything seems to work out.

Well, except for the Clan. They have been rebels ever since they discovered that I had possession of the Orb. I didn't even know the importance of it, but that's when I discovered the true nature of the Clan, and I didn't like it. I had been on the run ever since.

Speaking of running, the rebels were quickly advancing, just minutes away from their future victims. For some reason, I had a bad habit of underestimating their dragons. But I guess that I was overestimating the dragons' riders, because they were too focused on their task to look for intruders. I was also surprised that even the dragons didn't smell me and Lightning, my dragon, trailing close behind. _This group is getting sloppy, I thought to myself. I'm sure that the Clan's leader would_ love _to hear this. If I do succeed in throwing them off and possibly become their reason for retreat, he will probably will find out soon enough._ I almost felt sorry for the soldiers, but then I remembered all of their evil deeds and changed my mind. I didn't feel glad for their punishment, but I knew that they were going to be less damaged physically than they have done to others.

Anyway, the attackers were just a wing stroke away from their target, and I had to act fast. I gave the signal, and Lightning sped ahead of them. She came to an abrupt stop in front of the group, startling them. I pulled the helmet that I wore off from my head, letting my long, blonde hair flow to my back. I then proceeded to take a small leather pouch from the pack attached to Lightning. Now that really grabbed their attention. I smiled, knowing what would happen next.

"GET HER!" somebody within the crowd shouted, and then the chase began. I tried to steer them from the island, but with little luck. But then I noticed something I didn't expect or even think of. The villagers had an army of their own. But they didn't just have an army. They had an army of dragons.

I relaxed, feeling like I could breathe again. _Maybe I won't die this time after all._

They were a little while away, but I could tell that the army's leader had a dragon similar to mine. I believed that they were called Nightfuries. At least, that's what I've heard. But the reason why that detail stood out to me so much was that I thought that Lightning was probably the only Nightfury left. I had once believed that all the others were killed off. But, I was wrong. Again with the thinking. Ugh.

And speaking of thinking, I then distracted myself from paying attention to where I was going by diving deep into my thoughts. Luckily, Lightning wasn't as distracted as I was, and managed to make a sharp turn in the nick of time, just barely avoiding collision with a tower of boulders that was looming out over the sea.

"Oops, sorry," I apologized, getting only an annoyed grunt for an answer. "At least we took some of the soldiers down," I paused. "Literally." I felt Lightning's body vibrate as she chuckled lightly. I looked back to see more dragons slam into the boulders and fall to the ocean surface, but then emerge and start to swim away, obviously injured.

As I focused on what was ahead of me, I noticed that the army had taken flight, heading for my pursuers. I wanted to help the riders, and I had an idea of how. I just hoped that they would realize what I was up to and follow my example.

I guided Lightning to another pillar, and once again made another sharp turn, ridding me of a few more riders. The village's protectors caught on, and my strategy seemed to work for a while. Unfortunately, the enemy also realized what was going on, so I had to do something even crazier to get rid of them.

I flew straight up above the clouds, and then dive-bombed the group. Lightning let out a small burst of flame for good measure. That scared a few more men, but more stubborn warriors who refused to retreat were left. I was about to try diving again, but then realized that the good guys were doing a good enough job chasing the rebels away by themselves. They didn't need me anymore.

Once again, I got distracted, not noticing incoming danger. And again, Lightning realized that she needed to take over. She spun around quickly, throwing the threat far away from us. I realized that I was still clutching the pouch in my hand. I sheepishly put it back in the pack and bound it tightly. "Thanks," I said. "Again"

I watched the two groups fight for a while, chasing off the occasional challenger when I saw a Clan member escape through the wall of defenders. I followed him, wondering what he was up to.

It didn't take too long to figure out the guy's motive, because his dragon, a Monstrous Nightmare, flew down low, and then let out a stream of flame over the houses. Thankfully, there were buckets of water hung by rope that were most likely covered in some kind of fire-proof solution over the houses. They drenched the houses in water, putting the fires out.

The enemy then turned, heading for another target. He crashed into a large building, and I raced to catch up with him. The dragon and rider took a while to recover and get up, but when they did, the man noticed something.

The room was filled with baby dragons resting comfortably in their stables. A few lifted their heads sleepily to check out what was going on, but the others were too lazy and continued their slumber.

The soldier smiled to himself, and I knew what he was thinking.

"Oh, no you don't!" I called out, causing him to turn around and look at me in surprise. Then I tackled the man, pushing him to the ground. His dragon tried to come to his defense, but I scratched it under its chin, causing it to roll over on the floor and purr. By then, the enemy had stood up and was about to draw his sword, but I pushed a pressure point on his neck, and he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Before I could do anything else, I heard a dragon land behind me. I spun around, unsheathing the sword that I carried on my belt. I put it back in its place when I realized that I stood before the good army's leader who was dressed in armor.

He dismounted the Nightfury, and took off his helmet. He was in his mid-thirties, and had shaggy light brown hair, green eyes, a round nose, and thin, pale lips. I also noticed that about half of his left leg under his knee was missing. In its place was a prosthetic leg of a complex design.

Soon after the man leaped off his dragon, a Deadly Nadder landed right next to him. Riding on it was a woman about the man's age. It almost scared me that she looked so much like me. Well, an older version of me. She had long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, paleish skin, and light pink lips. Besides our age, pretty much the only main thing that kept us from looking like perfect clones was that I was more sun kissed than her.

The woman dismounted her dragon, and then asked me, "Who are you?"

I figured that it wouldn't hurt to answer her. "Skye," I replied.

"You're not from Berk, Are you?"

"Nope." So that's what this place is called, I realized. "By the way, you might want to fix that." I said, pointing to the destroyed front of the building.

"Yeah, probably." The woman said, wincing a bit.

"So… No offense, but what are you doing here?" the man asked.

"I was trailing these guys," I answered, gesturing to the unconscious soldier behind me.

"Right. But how did you find another Night Fury?"

"What do you mean?"

"I thought that Toothless could be the only Night Fury. I've been searching for another Night Fury for many years, and haven't found one. But, when I was just about ready to give up the search, you show up with…"

"Lightning, but I usually call her Light. And I don't think I found her. She found me. I've known her as long as I can remember." I looked in Light's general direction, and realized she wasn't there. I turned my gaze skyward, and saw Lightning chasing Toothless around. She was winning their game of chase. I laughed. "I looks like Toothless made a new friend."

The man looked up, and smiled. "Yes, it sure does look like that, doesn't it?"

The woman coughed, trying to get my attention. I averted my gaze from the dragons to show her that I was paying attention.

She asked, "How do you and Lightning feel about making Berk your new home?"

Light, obviously hearing the woman's offer, bounded back down to the ground happily. She looked at me hopefully. I laughed. "Sure, why not? Besides, our last home got blown up." The woman eyed me curiously. "It's a long story," I explained.


	2. Chapter 2

As it turned out, the woman's name was Astrid, and the man was named Hiccup. I found that name a bit strange, but there were a lot of people on Berk with names I had never even heard of before I got there, and I eventually got used to it.

Oh yeah, Hiccup was the chief of Berk, and Astrid was his wife.

Anyway, I lived on an almost isolated part of an island, which was fine with me. I was a bit more introverted than I was extroverted, so I liked spending more time with myself and Lightning. Besides, Light had more room to take off.

Nothing exiting really happened for my first few days on Berk, but one night, I felt the Orb calling me to it. I tried to ignore it and go back to sleep, but I eventually gave up and went over to the leather pouch where it was hidden.

I climbed back to my bed, carrying it with me. I leaned against the wall as I took the box where the Orb rested out of its container. I took the lid off, holding my breath due to an anxiety that I couldn't quite explain. The orb looked just like an ordinary sphere, but then it began to glow an unearthly blue color. Without thinking, I slowly reached out to touch it.

When my fingers came in contact with the Orb, a tingling pain spread up my arm and throughout my body. Soon after, I blacked out.

I can make you smarter than your peers. I can give you power beyond your dreams. With my help, we could control the world of people and dragons. If you accept my offer, we could become unstoppable!

_Yeah, thanks, but no thanks. I'm perfectly happy with the life I already have_, I retorted.

_Are you sure about that? You have enemies who chase you down. With me, you could get rid of them. In fact, you could get rid of everyone in your way._

_No offense, but I'm not really that fond of killing people. Besides, it's not fun getting everything you want._

_But you don't have to get everything you want. Just most of the things you want._

_Thanks, but-_ I paused, starting to like some of the Orb's ideas. Thankfully, I eventually snapped out of it. _No. I will have nothing to do with you or your ideas._ I then struggled to break the connection, and I finally did, feeling the pain flee from my body.

I woke up to find myself lying face-down on the floor. Lightning was looming over me, with a look of concern on her face.

"I'm fine," I told her as I got up and scratched her behind the ear. She wagged her tail happily, causing me to chuckle. I looked down in disgust and saw the Orb resting in its box. It had returned to its original state. I swiped it off from the ground, snapped the lid closed, shoved it into the leather pouch, and then stuffed it into the pack, bounding it tightly. I then stormed away on Lightning, trying to get as far away from it as possible.

But throughout the day, I couldn't stop thinking about the Orb. It was a constant fight to resist the temptation. Every day I just couldn't get it out of my head. Eventually, I decided to give it to the person I could trust the most.

"So, why are you giving this to me?" Hiccup questioned.

"Because it's what the Clan is after."

"The Clan?"

"That's what those people who recently attacked you are called."

"Oh. But why me?"

"Because you're the one I can trust the most. You're the chief of this village, and you'll want to protect it. In order to protect it, you'll be willing to hide and protect the Orb."

"True. But why give it up just now?"

"To be honest, it's been tempting me." Hiccup gave me a questioning look. "It's getting into my head. It keeps on reminding me of what I can accomplish. But that would mean doing terrible, evil deeds. I don't want to agree with it, but some part of me does, and it keeps on nagging me every second of every single day. I have to give it away to someone else. Just in case. I don't want to hurt anybody."

Hiccup's face turned melancholy as he whispered, "I know how you feel."

"What do you mean?" I asked softly, knowing that he was diving into a depressing memory.

"It was so many years ago." He sighed. "Fourteen years, to exact. She was my first child, and they took her. They took her! My daughter was whisked away, never to be seen in the middle of the night. It broke my heart. I desperately craved to go after her, but I knew that I would break many more by doing so. Two years later, I was blessed with another girl. No matter how hard my wife and I tried to protect her, she too disappeared. I was filled with so much rage and fury, but I knew that I had to keep my anger to myself in order to keep people from harm; from my wrath. I wished to take my anger out on someone or something, but I knew that the people around me were undeserving of my ferocity. Every day I had to deal with my anger; to hold it back and look on the bright side of life. Eventually I got over my grief, but every once in a while, the memory comes back to haunt me"

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, noticing that my eyes were about to water. I held back the tears that were threatening to come. "You don't know what it must be like for your children to not know that there's someone out there who loves them, who is waiting for them to come home. You don't understand the pain of not having someone out there who will believe in you; who will be out there to support even you craziest whims. And you _definitely _do not know what it is to wish for love, but have to face the cold, hard truth of not knowing."

"I know what it feels like to not be believed in. For years, everybody, even my own father didn't believe in me; not until I became the first dragon trainer on Berk."

"At least you knew your father."

Hiccup looked at me with a surprised expression. "You don't know who your parents are?"

"Nope," I replied. "I don't know anyone who believes in me besides Lightning. Anyways," I continued, heading out the door, "don't touch the Orb when it's glowing. Just saying."

I was almost out the door when I heard Hiccup say, "I believe in you." He paused. "Just saying."

I turned around, smiling a bit. "Thanks," I said, then turned around and left.


	3. Chapter 3

I love to be soaring in the air, with the wind whipping through my hair and all worries forgotten. I felt so alive; so free. Free to be myself. Free to live away from responsibility. I could forget everything that caused me distress and feel like everything was right with the world.

I was riding on the back of Lightning, when she started to growl. "What is it?" I questioned. I looked over and saw a fleet of dragons trailing behind us. They had no rider, and I couldn't tell if they were the good guys or not.

When they flew towards us, I knew that they were the bad guys. They had an evil glint in their eyes, as if the hungered for my demise.

"Lightning, you know what to do," I commanded. "Chase." She sped ahead of the dragons, but then the dragons began to outrun us. I was about to try to find another way of escape, but then a gigantic Bewilderbeast rose above the clouds, roaring angrily. Riding on its tusk was Drago Bludfist.

"Hello, old friend. Why'd you leave me so soon? I had great plans for you. Why don't you come back? We miss you. You were one of our greatest warriors. Please stop living in fear of us. Come join our cause, and then you could finally have your life back." Drago purred.

"First of all, why would I ever, ever come back?! I left because I realized what your cause was. Also, you're insane! No! I would never, not in my entire life, go back to you organization! And by the way, I don't have the Orb."

"And where would it be?" he asked, trying to seem patient.

"I don't know."

"And why would you not know?" Drago was nearly at the point of shouting.

"And why I tell you that?" I retorted. "Lightning, up," I whispered. She flew straight up into the air, with the Bewilderbeast trailing close behind. Luckily, the dragon's weight slowed him down, and I managed to outrun him. But then I felt an icy cold travel down my spine. Lightning managed to spilt the spikes that were down her back and made the sharp turn just in time. The air next to me was frozen, and then began to fall to what would have been my doom.

Another icy ray was shot, and again it just barely missed me. This kept going on for six times, until the Bewilderbeast ran out of shots. Drago roared in anger. "I'll be back for you, you little…"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it," I said. He then left, and for a moment I felt a bit triumphant. But then I realized that I hadn't done anything but make Drago even more furious. I thought that he might know where I lived, so I decided to tell Hiccup about him.

"I believe that there may be a threat to Berk," I said as I walked into the chief's office.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Have you ever heard of someone named Drago Bludfist?" Hiccup's eyes widened and I saw the shock in his face. "What is it?"

"Oh this is bad this is so very, very bad!" he exclaimed.

"What?"

"I thought he died years ago!"

"What are you talking about?!

"Long story short, He attacked Berk and brought an alpha dragon with him to take control over the dragons, but he eventually ended up being defeated. He fell into the ocean along with his Bewilderbeast. How could he still be alive?"

"I don't know. The problem is that he is alive, and stirring up trouble. I think he might know where I live. I encountered him just recently."

"You did? But how does he know you?"

"I've been a member of his clan for many years, up until I realized what they were really up to and when they discovered that I had possession of the Orb. In fact, that's what he was most likely after when he approached me."

"But why would he want the Orb?"

"My guess would be that his motive is power."

"That does make sense."

"But I'm just worried that he will attack again. And trust me, he won't lose the next time. I've seen him destroy cities with the point of a finger."

"Wow."

"Yup."

He paused. "So… We probably should plan to defend Berk just in case Drago comes back, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah, probably."

Hiccup held a meeting with important figures in the community. "After about fifteen years, Drago Bludfist might have decided to come back; and we probably won't have as much luck fighting him this time. His Bewilderbeast has become alpha over another group of dragons. Also, he now has an even larger army that now consists of both dragons and riders."

There were many shocked murmurs that went throughout the crowd. Soon, the murmurs turned to shouts, and Toothless had to get back everyone's attention by letting out an angry roar. All heads turned toward Toothless, including Hiccup's and mine. The Nightfury gestured to Hiccup with his head, and everybody's eyes fell on him.

"Well, that's why we are gathered here. We must protect Berk in case Drago is starving for destruction, and we're the main course. Now, let's get started."


	4. Chapter 4

I had spent many days sketching miscellaneous contraptions, and was ready to show them to Hiccup. I dismounted Lightning, and let her fly off, searching for fish to eat. As I started to walk towards the chief's office, I started to get nervous. _What if he doesn't approve of my inventions? What if he thinks they're terrible ideas? _

_Stop thinking like that, _I told myself. _If he doesn't think my ideas are any good, then that's his own problem. _

I approached his door, and knocked. A couple seconds later, Hiccup opened the door and invited me in. "So, what brings you here today?" he asked.

"I have a few ideas that we could use to our advantage against Drago."

"What are they?"

I took the gigantic bag I had off my back and handed it to Hiccup. It was filled to the brim with papers and calculations.

"And what might this be?" he questioned.

"Oh, just a few invention ideas." I replied. "I would have come up with more, but I have a lot of other conflicts on my mind to think about."

"_A few_? " he said, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged. He looked at a few of the papers, and I could have sworn he was beaming with pride. "Skye, these are brilliant! How did you come up with all this?!"

"It's just a hobby that I like to take on in my spare time. I figured that it could come in handy at a time like this."

"Just a hobby? Just a hobby?! I have been inventing for years now, and I still wouldn't have the brilliance to think of all this!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

I shrugged again. "It's not my best. I don't see why you're so worked up about it." To be honest, I really didn't.

Hiccup's jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Sorry, but I'm not," I replied simply.

We spent the next few weeks preparing for the possible battle. My only worries were that I knew that we weren't the only ones planning. We also weren't the only people with an army. I dreaded the day when my former superior would come back for me, dragging other innocent people along.

After a particularly long day of preparing for battle, I decided to clear my mind while riding on the back of Lightning. I was enjoying the peaceful ride, when suddenly, she made a sharp turn to the left, almost making me fall off. "Lightning, what are you doing?!" I cried, shocked at her strange behavior. No answer. She continued to steer me toward what seemed to be an endless expanse of forest. Then, all of the sudden, a pure-white Bonenapper dragon appeared along the horizon. It was headed right for me. "Lightning, I demand you to to turn around this instant!" I shouted angrily. She didn't obey. Something was wrong. I leaned over, looking at her eyes. Her pupils were thin slits, staring right into the Bonenapper's eyes. I glanced over at him. His pupils were also slim, and staring right into Lightning's eyes. It was then that's realized what was going on. The Bonenapper was an alpha dragon, and was controlling her. I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Lightning wouldn't do that to me on purpose.

I got distracted by my thoughts about the situation for a moment, and the next I knew was that the alpha was looming over me, his claws reaching down to get me. I thought about crying for help, but knew it was useless. He picked me up, lifting me into the air, and flew off. "Lightning! Where are you going?! Come back!" I shouted as I looked back to see her turn around and fly back to Berk.

I struggled for my freedom, but the dragon just wouldn't let go. "Put. Me. Down!" I demanded, and to my surprise, he did. I was glad that he had obeyed, but then I realized my mistake. We were still up in the air when the Bonenapper complied. "Oh no," I muttered to myself as I began the drop to the forest floor.

Luckily, I was only a few inches away from the treetops when I fell. The branches reached out to me like helping hands. Hands that had sharp, prickly claws. They grabbed at me, and I let out a short yelp of pain as one tore into the skin on my upper arm. Then my foot hit something, altering my course. I continued to tumble downward, each branch I zoomed past bigger and thicker than the last. When I judged that I was about to emerge from the tangle of tree branches, I grabbed ahold of a broad, strong branch that I figured could hold my weight and held on for dear life. My body jerked downward, causing my arms to nearly pop out of their sockets. Thankfully, my grip held and kept me from slamming onto the ground. I let out a sigh of relief. Then, gathering all the strength and will I could muster, forced myself to carefully descend the tree.

When my feet came in contact with the ground, I felt so thankful to still be alive. _And I probably should find some food and shelter if I want to _stay _alive_, I thought. I was about to do so, when I was interrupted by sound of crunching branches. I spun around, but saw nothing. The noise continued to reach my ears and grew louder, until there was a dragon standing right in front of me; so close that I could feel his hot breath create a miniature breeze.

He didn't look like any dragon that I knew of. His body was long and slender so he could weave though the trees without making too much noise. The dragon wasn't too tall either; he was about my height when standing on all fours. His scales were hues of greens and browns; the perfect camouflage armor. He turned around, and then proceeded to glide away.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" I called out, surprising myself. The dragon looked at me and jerked his head in the direction he was headed, signaling me to follow. Without thinking, I came after him. _What are you doing?!_ I thought. _You don't know what his motives are. He could be on of Drago's minions. _

_I don't think so,_ I replied to myself. _I would know by now if this was Drago's ideas. And I have no idea what I'm doing. The dragon just seems to draw me in like a magnet. Oh well. I guess I'll just see what happens. _

_Yes, because that always turns out well. _

_Yup. _


	5. Chapter 5

I was advancing through the forest, when the dragon came to an abrupt stop. "What is it?" I asked, not expecting an answer in return. However, I did get a response when I pushed away the overgrowth, revealing a magnificent sight that took my breath away.

There were a few far away light blue streams that poured down as gentle waterfalls into into a gigantic sparkling blue lake that was surrounded by grass that glistened with dew. The circular clearing was filled with many kinds of plant and animal life. I could hear the insects buzzing with their song, creating a beautiful melody along with the other sounds of the forest.

I was startled when the dragon broke me from my trance by gently nudging me towards the lake. "What are you doing?" I questioned, wondering what he was up to. He stepped in front of me, walking to the fairly large body of water. When the creature arrived at his destination, he stopped and turned toward me. The look in his eyes told me that I was to follow. I came to where he was standing, and gazed down into the clear, sparkling water. It drew me near it, and I reached out my hand into the water, was shocked to feel power surging through me. I ripped my hand away, and jumped back. "What is this- this thing? This... lake, or whatever it is." I asked, looking up at the dragon. I was even more surprised when he answered.

"No one really knows. Well, almost no one knows about this lake, but everyone who does has no idea. What matters is that it exists, and you're going in it."

My jaw dropped open. "I... What?" I whimpered.

"You heard me. Now, go! You already temporarily have the power to understand me; you might as well go and get the rest."

"But... What? Why me?"

"Because..." he started to say, but then I could no longer understand and his deep voice turned into an impatient roar. I just kept on staring at him in shock. If dragons could roll eyes, that's what he did. The dragon then gave up and shoved me into the lake.

I felt the cold and darkness envelope me as I clamped my eyes shut and held my breath. After a while, I knew that I couldn't hold my breath anymore. I finally gave up the fight, and when I did, I realized that I could breathe. _What...?_ I thought, utterly confused. I then felt the power surge though me again, and at first I was afraid, but then I realized that there was nothing I could really do about the situation, and let it take over. I felt myself grow in size, and my skin and even clothing and hair transformed into scales. Powerful wings expanded from my back, and I sprouted a tail. _Wha... What's going on?_ I wondered, but I soon realized what I had become. _I'm... I'm a... I'm a dragon! _I exclaimed, growing more used to the thought. _This is amazing! _I thrust my gigantic wings and soon was soaring high above the forest. I flew excitedly, although I was a bit clumsy because it was my first time flying with my own wings. I swooped down over the lake, and then stopped in my tracks as I saw my reflection.

The dragon slightly resembled a Deadly Nadder, but was a bit different. Her scales were blue and white; she most certainly would be able to hide in the clouds. Well, at a distance, that is. Other than her unusual look, she pretty much resembled a Nadder. But what if she really was one, I thought. The dragon then transformed into almost an exact copy of Stormfly.

_Wait... That dragon, she's me! _ Oh, this wonderful! I told myself as I skimmed my beautiful wings across the water. T_his is... This is so... _I thought as I sat down next too the lake and stared into the reflection's eyes. _Terrible. _I sighed. A single tear ran down my cheek and splashed into the water. _What am I? _I cried.


	6. Chapter 6

I crept into my home, hoping to go unnoticed. I went straight up the stairs and sat down on my bed, holding my head in my hands and thinking back on the last few events, trying to get my thoughts straight. I knew that I had been transformed into... a... Well, I honestly had no idea. I was filled with glee at first, but then...

_As the tear splashed onto the lake's surface, it caused ripples, disturbing the usually peaceful water. I felt the dragon lightly brush against me as he laid down next to me, looking at me with those understanding and comforting eyes. "Why did you do this to me?" I asked him as another droplet of water gracefully glided down my face and was about to explode onto the ground, when the dragon caught it in his paw. _

_He looked up at me, and said, "I'm sorry; I just had to. She told me- Well, you'll find out soon enough. But trust me, I understand how you feel. I felt terrible, too. But then I grew to like my new self. I realized that I am still me, and not the terrible beast I thought I was. Your dragon self is now a part of you. You might as well embrace it. After the transformation, there's no going back. I'm afraid to tell you that-"_

_He was cut off when I spoke. "Wait- you're just like me? You're also a human, too? I'm not the only one?!"_

_"Do I look like an ordinary dragon?" he questioned. _

_"Well, no, I guess not," I realized. "So, is that a yes?"_

_"Yes, but-"_

_"Wait a second. Does that mean that there are more people out there like us?" I asked, getting excited. _

_"Well, um... You see... I'm not exactly authorized to tell you that," he explained nervously. _

_"Aha! I knew it! Authorized by who?" I raised an eyebrow and smirked, knowing that I had caught him. _

_"I... Um... Forget I said anything." he stammered, avoiding eye contact. "But listen, I need to tell you that-" He was making eye contact with me now. _

_"Is there an entire community of people like you? Will I be able to meet them? What if-"_

_"Listen to me!" he almost yelled. I looked back at the dragon in surprise. "As I w_as saying, _your life will be in more danger than it was before. You must be careful not to reveal your secret. If it gets out, there will be people hunting you down and trying to kidnap you for their own personal gain."_

_"No offense, but how could my life get any more dangerous than it already is? I was once a part of an evil organization until I realized what they were really up to, I'm most likely being hunted down by its powerful leader and his Bewilderbeast, and he and his army might attack the village where I live. I don't think it gets any more dangerous than that."_

_"Trust me, it _will _get even more dangerous than that. Wait." He paused, realizing something. "Are you telling me that you were once part of the Clan?!" _

_"Well, yes, but I grew up there. It took me forever to finally notice what was really going on, and I left. Wait a second..." It was my turn to be confused. "How do you know about the Clan? Not many other people, or dragons, know about that."_

_"Um... It's a secret." He got up, weaving back through the trees. The last few words I heard from him then were, "Good luck!"_

_After he disappeared, I looked into the lake, staring at my reflection. A strange dragon was staring right back at me, reminding me of the beast I was. Who am I?" I whispered to myself._

_Then, I reluctantly flew home. _

So, there I was, attempting to get my thoughts straight and decide whether or not I was a monster. I heard the door to my room creaking open, and looked up to find Lightning walking towards me. She laid down on the floor beside me and hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry I left you," she apologized. "I don't know what came over me."

"I forgive you. It wasn't your fault; you were being controlled by the Bonenapper." Lightning's jaw dropped in shock.

"How... How can you understand me? She questioned.

"It's a long story," I explained.


	7. Chapter 7

I met Hiccup at a smallish island that was only a few miles away from Berk. "What's up?" I said just as I leaped off of Lightning's back. Soon after, she flew away with Toothless, no doubt searching for food.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to talk to you."

"About...?"

"Drago."

"Ah. Of course. What about him?"

"I believe that he may be the cause of all these disturbances and chaos in Berk."

"What do you mean?"

"You never noticed?" Hiccup asked, surprised.

"Um, no, I don't think so."

"Well, every once in a while, a dragon will be under the control of some mysterious alpha, and, well... Chaos happens."

"Shouldn't Toothless be able to take control? He is an alpha; isn't he?"

"Yes, but he and I are usually so busy all the time, and the other alpha is a bit better at controlling dragons than him. After all, Toothless doesn't like doing that."

"True. But why are you telling this to me?"

"Well, to be honest..." He was interrupted by a dark shadow looming over us. It turned out to be a unique dragon that I hadn't seen before. It was almost pitch-black, and resembled a cross between a Monstrous Nightmare and a Timberjack. It passed us, but then it suddenly swooped down low, knocking Hiccup off of the steep cliff.

My life started to play out in slow motion. I would have to risk my reputation and the few friendships I had in order to save his life. But if I didn't save him...

I had to save him! There just couldn't be any other option!

But what would happen if I did? How would he react to knowing what I was?

I kept on desperately trying to make a decision, but I just couldn't make up my mind. Time was running out and I was still in conflict with myself. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a woman staring at me. Her gaze was judgmental, but other than that, I couldn't really tell what was on her mind. The stranger's hair was raven black, her eyes violet, nose pointed, and mouth pulled into what almost was a disapproving scowl. Then, I realized something.

_This is a test. The other people who are like me want to know what I would do. Wait_, I thought remembering the camouflaged dragon's advice.

"_Your life will be in more danger than it was before. You must be careful not to reveal your secret_."

The dragon-human community wanted to know how cautious I would be when my identity is in danger. I couldn't let Hiccup die, but I also couldn't make a bad impression. Luckily, I had an idea.

I quickly transformed into an exact copy of Lightning, zoomed down towards Hiccup, grabbed him by the shoulders, and placed him safely on the ground. Quick as lightning, I flew in the direction of where Light and Toothless went to find fish. Once I was out of Hiccup's sight, I hurriedly flew in a half circle over to the back of the island, landing behind him. Miraculously, I managed to convert back to myself before he turned around. Hiccup had a questioning look on his face.

"Why did she fly away?" he asked, confused.

"I guess she was really hungry." I shrugged, suddenly realizing how exhausted that my little stunt had left me. I quickly adverted my gaze in order to see if the woman was still standing where I last saw her. She was gone, but a black dragon was soaring away in the distance.


	8. Chapter 8

I was on my way to the trading post to get more food, since I was running out. And I know that many people prefer to buy their meals for the time being and eat out in groups, but I'm different. I'm most likely more introverted than those people are. I prefer to just eat eat alone in my home without going anywhere. On a few occasions I'll talk to Lightning, but I just like to take some time out of the day where there can be silence, allowing me to think and sort some of my thoughts out. It especially improves my attitude if it's been a hectic day surrounded by loud(ish) people, while trying to think about how to defend Berk at the same time.

Anyway, I was walking alone, carrying a basket of fish that I'd hoped would be enough to pay for the amount of food I wanted, when I spotted a quick flash of black out of the corner of my eye. I paused and backed up, looking to my right, which was the direction that it came from. I didn't end up noticing anything suspicious, so I moved on and dismissed the event as a fragment of my imagination.

I traded the fish, which was apparently more than enough, by the way, and then left to go back home. As I was strolling though what practically seemed like the middle of nowhere, I saw the color black again. I paused, looking over both shoulders, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. So, I continued forward.

The splash of color appeared again after a while, but I didn't have time to react before I was pushed behind some trees, and was pinned against one of their trunks. On normal occasions, my first reaction to a situation like this would be to fight back; but I didn't. I believe that I didn't struggle because I recognized the attacker, and felt like she could be trusted.

"What were you thinking?!" she whispered harshly.

"Thinking... Thinking about what? And you do realize that there's nobody around to hear us, right? We're kind of in the middle of nowhere... Wait... What were we talking about again?"

"Shhh! Be quiet! Someone could hear you!"

"Um... I don't really think that-" I was cut off mid-sentence by the girl.

"Don't you see?! That's your problem! You must he more careful! If you don't, people will find out you secret. And soon enough, _all_ of us '_different_' people will be hunted down for other people's personal gain!"

I was shocked by her attitude, but then my little brain freeze ended and I started thinking again. "That's how I recognize you!" I shouted at an embarrassingly loud volume. I tried to hide my embarrassment, but I felt the temperature rise in my face, and knew that the woman caught my blush. I adverted my gaze and whispered, "Sorry. It's just that I couldn't remember why I recognized you, and was trying to remember when... And... Well, I obviously just remembered. And by the way, I can be careful when I want or need to.

"Is that why you yelled right at the top of your lungs right after I told you to be quiet?"

I found myself staring at a squirrel that was busy trying to crack open a nut that it took from a tree's branches. It noticed me eyeing it, and we locked gazes, the creature frozen in fear. But it soon turned around and left, taking its precious treasure with it. After that, I seemed to be really interested in what was going on near the bush that was just a few feet away from me. "That doesn't count." I looked back in front of me just in time to see the annoyed lady roll her eyes.

"Anyways, the point is that you have to be more careful that you were before. Got that?" I nodded, afraid to say anything else. "Good. I'd also like you to practice your newfound skills with Leo."

I dared to question her, because I knew that the thought would pester me until I knew the answer. "Who's Leo?" And more importantly, what kind of name is that?! I wouldn't have dared to mention that to her, though. Well, there is a guy named Hiccup, so why not Leo?

"You'll find out the answer soon enough. Meet him by the lake every weekend. I'm sure you remember where it is; right?"

"Um..."

"Great!" She released my shoulder from her grasp, and began to leave.

"Wait!" I called out.

She paused and looked back. "What's your name?"

"I won't tell you the answer to that, but I will give you a name to call me by."

"And what would that be?"

"Raven." Raven then continued to leave. When she disappeared amongst the trees, I heard her note one last thing. "Oh, and don't disappoint me or any of the others."

"Oh... Great..." I muttered under my breath.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been a while since I last talked to Hiccup. That occurred a few days ago, when he was knocked off of an island. Luckily, I was able to convince him that Lightning was thankfully close enough to save him, but she wasn't interested in staying for the aftermath. I also settled any other doubts that he had about what happened. I hated lying to him, or even lying in general, but I couldn't really think of what else to say. I figured that telling him about how I transformed into a dragon and saved his life wouldn't go over too well. After all, why would I want to tell Hiccup of the monster I believed I was?

He stopped me as others were leaving after our meeting. We were still coming together with other people to discuss the threat of Drago, even though it had started looking like he wouldn't attack; but we know better than that. I wouldn't have been shocked at all if he was trying to make us believe that so he could swoop in last second for a surprise attack, catching Berk off guard. It did sound like something he'd do.

"What is it?" I questioned.

"Do you remember when I was going to talk to you earlier, but we were interrupted and didn't get the chance to to continue the conversation?"

"Yes," I responded, curious as to where he was going with the topic.

"Well... You know what, just follow me." He quickly exited the building, lengthening his stride so that he could move faster. His pace seemed to have a nervous aura to it, casting anxiety on me as I wondered about what was troubling him. I had trouble keeping up with him, but then we arrived at the Blacksmith's shop. I had time to catch my breath as Hiccup pulled out a smallish wooden cube out from a pile of scrap metal hidden in the corner. I was almost paralyzed with fear as I immediately recognized the box. It was the container that hid the Orb from prying eyes.

"What...?" I began to say, but got so lost in my confusion and thoughts that I forgot to speak. Hiccup turned towards me.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe that I can hold on to this for any longer. The thought of it keeps on invading my mind until it's practically the only thing I think about and I keep on getting distracted at the worst times. For example, I have trouble listening when I'm discussing important issues like the possible oncoming war, or when settling petty disputes between villagers. It's hard enough being a chief, and it honestly doesn't help when all you can think about is domination, even though you know inside that those thoughts aren't truly you. I hate to say this, but I'd like you to take back this... This thing... Whatever it is."

"The Orb."

"Yes. That." Hiccup kept looking down at the box as he tossed it back and forth between his hands nervously, waiting for a response.

"That's alright. I understand. Sorry to trouble you." I said, hoping that I had successfully hid any sign of disappointment in my voice and expression. I did know how he felt, but I just wasn't to happy about having to worry about the Orb again. But I knew that it wouldn't be right to make Hiccup deal with it, especially since it was my responsibility before it was his. I held out my hand and he placed the container in my palm.

"Thank you," he sighed, appearing as if a ton of weight was just lifted off his shoulders. I sighed also, but except for another reason. I was stuck with again with a burden that was the Orb. How I was going to manage to stay sane, I had no idea. The Orb, plus training, plus hiding my identity and other pressures...I predicted that my life just got even harder. I was right. Speaking of training...


	10. Chapter 10

I spread my wings and bounded into the air, during them to keep myself aloft. To others, I was just an ordinary dragon stretching its wings, but they were wrong. I was a human wearing the disguise of a Nightfury. I was... I honestly didn't know exactly how I felt about myself. I knew that I should have been more thankful for my gift, but the truth is that I also felt like a monster. I didn't feel that way because I was different, although I figured that not many people could turn into any dragon that they wanted to be, but maybe it was the factor that I just felt too powerful. I also didn't know what I was. Was I the good guy, or was I the bad one. Also, I wondered if I was good, but would later become evil? I shook my head, hoping the motion would help get rid of the thought. _No, that is not true. You are the good guy and you always will be, although you will face trial and error,_ I reassured myself.

_I know, but it's just that... Well, you know. There are so many ideas I could list, and..._ the more anxious part of my subconscious began to say, but I stopped it from making me feel even more worse than I already felt.

_Stop worrying. You should not be afraid of this. You are not evil, and it will stay that way, _the more determined part of me advised.

_Yes, please stop. I can't really handle any more worries than I already have,_ I added. So, my mind began to wander to a different thought.

I wondered if there were many other people who also had an ability similar to mine, or if there were very few. I was curious about who they were, and how they had managed to keep their secret from getting out. I wanted to know if the people like me also felt the same way I did then, but then got over it. Or, did they believe from the start that they were monsters and continued to feel that way, hiding the idea's existence in their minds while it slowly ate away at their positive thoughts? But then there was also the possibility that they accepted their gift instead of silently moping like I was.

Don't get me wrong. I loved my powers. I adored the feeling of soaring through the air on my own, with the cool breeze brushing against me. I had time to clear my mind when flying; pushing my worries aside for the moment so I could finally relax and be at peace. My abilities would help me defend myself, especially if I was forced to battle Drago Bloodfist. I absolutely disliked the idea of that coming true, but I figured the likelihood of that occurring was fairly high. I enjoyed flight, and to be honest, I also liked the power of being a dragon, even though that was also part of my mental conflict with myself.

But there were disadvantages to becoming a shape-shifter as well. I had to be extra cautious to not let out the secret of my dragon identity. It made me feel like I was some sort of animal that was meant to be trapped in a cage with a crowd of onlookers staring at me. They would probably force me to do tricks that they would either stare at in awe or laugh at while trying to agitate me. Or maybe the mob of people would yell and throw food at me because of their jealousy at the fact that I had a gift that they hadn't obtained. In other words, what I guess I am trying to say is that I feared that I wouldn't be accepted by "normal" people who didn't have any special powers like I did.

But the truth is that there's no such thing as normal people. Everybody's different in a good way, with different gifts. Just because someone has the ability to do something that another can't doesn't mean that he or she is better than the other. Actually, it means that people could use their different abilities to help build each other up and support one another.

_But what would a community want to do with me? _I could actually come up with a few answers to that question, but that wasn't what I meant. I feared that people would be filled with envy if they knew that I had a unique ability that not many other people had. But then again, people had talents that I didn't obtain.

The more I thought about my worry, the more confused and frustrated I became. I knew that I had to clear my mind and push the thoughts aside. I closed my eyes and began to focus on what would not lead me to worry. I almost immediately felt my heart beating against my chest, the pulsating of my lungs, the blood pumping through my veins, and even the slightest sliver of movement coming from my wings and tail. I sighed, taking pleasure in the peace and silence.

All of the sudden, I felt as if something was wrong. My eyes flew open and I paused in midair, gazing down at the scenery below me. I was so high above the ground that the tall, thick trees looked like a field of miniature broccoli that sprouted from the ground and clustered together, expanding beyond my field of vision. I was at a huge island quite a few miles from Berk. Luckily, I can travel fast if I want to, so it took me about ten minutes or so to get there. I probably would have gotten there faster, but the saddle I was wearing slowed me down a bit. I was trying to find the lake so I could meet Leo, whoever he was.

Soon after I took in the view of the forest, I realized that I went too far and passed the lake. I hurriedly made a sharp turn and headed in the opposite direction of where I was just flying before. I soon noticed the place where I was supposed to be, and dived at a steep angle into the clearing. I began to shift back into my human self as I fell, with my saddle transforming into a pack along with me, just as I intended for it to do. My feet came in contact with the ground, and I set the bag down, hiding it in a crowd of tall plants.

"You're late, I heard a voice say behind me grumble. Shocked, I pivoted and looked at what used to be behind me and was then straight ahead of me. All that I saw was overgrowth. Then, it began to rustle. It parted enough to allow the head of a dragon peer out. In fact, I knew who it was. The creature just happened to be the one who pushed me into the lake that gave me my powers.

I did not expect to see him there, but before I could mention that, I blurted out, "So _you're_ Leo?!"

"Yes. Now can you please explain to me why you did not arrive on time? There's only so much time I have to help you know how to use your gift, and Raven is really putting me under pressure."

"Oh, right. Sorry about that, but I kind of lost track of time."

"Kind of?" Leo grunted and then emerged from the brush and walked ahead of me. I turned around and followed him; getting a sense of déjà vu as I flashed back to the first time I met him.

Leo came to a stop at the lake after walking a few yards, and so did I. We peered into the watery surface. It displayed the reflection of the dragon and myself, until a ripple appeared across my duplicate's image. It was distorted until it showed myself as my own special type of dragon. The dragon stared back at me with a curious look. Then, it did the impossible. It began to move. The copy of myself tilted its head.

Suddenly, the water's surface took on the image of a wispy, glowing sphere with various hues of blue that constantly changed as a background for my clone. The dragon's once innocent eyes were replaced with an evil fury inside them that I had never seen so intensely before. The malicious gleam in the dragon's eyes frightened me. What terrorized me the most was that although the mood of them had changed, those eyes still belonged to me.

"No," I whispered silently. _I would never become such a thing as that; especially just for power. That is not me, and never will be. That is not me. That is not me, _I repeated in my head over and over again, trying to make the more nervous part of me convinced that my statement was true every time I told myself that. But the problem was that it just wouldn't believe me.

"_Oh, but it can be. Just look at what we can accomplish if we work together_" I heard the Orb's voice tell me. I momentarily glanced back to where I knew my bag was resting, and where the Orb was concealed. My eyes were soon glued back to the lake. The image changed, and soon numerous visions of me doing terrible, unthinkable deeds were spread across the lake and stream's surfaces. It showed me striking fear into people's hearts, causing despair, and even becoming the result of many deaths.

_No. That is not me. I will not stand for this. Orb, if you're listening to me, know that no matter how much you try and tempt me, I will always fight you. You cannot win, and you know it. Leave me. NOW. _I felt an internal battle between good and evil going on inside of me. I felt the Orb trying to stay in me and continue to torment me. I also felt the good in me pulling at my heart to do the right thing, while fighting off the Orb at the same time. But then, I realized that I could help get the Orb away from me if I joined the fight and helped the good to win. We were thankfully victorious, but unfortunately it drained a lot of energy from me and I found myself blacking out.

I blinked, adjusting to the bright light. An annoyed groan came from me, as I was upset of the idea of having to get up like I always was each morning. Suddenly, a face looked down at me from what seemed to be nowhere, and I sat up quickly, gasping in shock. "Oh, hi Leo," I mumbled while rubbing the dreariness out of my eyes.

"Are you okay?" he questioned, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? So let me get this straight. You are totally and completely fine after you just stared into a lake, mumbling to yourself for a few minutes, and passing out after that?"

"Yup." I adverted his gaze, trying not to look like I wasn't exactly telling the truth. I found myself staring at where the Orb was, remembering what had just occurred inside my head. I then found that it was probably better to not look away.

"Please don't tell me that you're insane."

I laughed. _I wish that was true. Oh Leo, you have no idea._ "Don't worry; I'll live."

"Actually, that's not completely true. Everybody has to die at some point in their lives. But, I guess that you still are right when saying that because you will be alive tomorrow, and many days after that. At least, you will as far as I know." Leo commented.

"Gee, thanks, smart alec," I grumbled. "So, what were you going to say earlier about training?"


End file.
